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Their Eyes Were Watching God

  • TV Movie
  • 2005
  • TV-14
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
Halle Berry in Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005)
DramaRomance

A drama set in the 1920s, where free-spirited Janie Crawford's search for happiness leads her through several different marriages, challenging the morals of her small town. Based on the nove... Read allA drama set in the 1920s, where free-spirited Janie Crawford's search for happiness leads her through several different marriages, challenging the morals of her small town. Based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston.A drama set in the 1920s, where free-spirited Janie Crawford's search for happiness leads her through several different marriages, challenging the morals of her small town. Based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston.

  • Director
    • Darnell Martin
  • Writers
    • Zora Neale Hurston
    • Suzan-Lori Parks
    • Misan Sagay
  • Stars
    • Halle Berry
    • Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    • Mel Winkler
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    3.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Darnell Martin
    • Writers
      • Zora Neale Hurston
      • Suzan-Lori Parks
      • Misan Sagay
    • Stars
      • Halle Berry
      • Ruben Santiago-Hudson
      • Mel Winkler
    • 86User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 2 wins & 24 nominations total

    Photos10

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    Top cast37

    Edit
    Halle Berry
    Halle Berry
    • Janie Starks
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    • Joe Starks
    Mel Winkler
    • Logan Killicks
    Michael Ealy
    Michael Ealy
    • Tea Cake
    Terrence Howard
    Terrence Howard
    • Amos Hicks
    Lorraine Toussaint
    Lorraine Toussaint
    • Pearl Stone
    Nicki Micheaux
    Nicki Micheaux
    • Phoebe Watson
    Gabriel Casseus
    Gabriel Casseus
    • Sam Watson
    Sean Nelson
    Sean Nelson
    • Hezekiah
    Kevin Daniels
    Kevin Daniels
    • Liege Moss
    Maura Gale
    Maura Gale
    • Lula Moss
    Ruby Dee
    Ruby Dee
    • Nanny
    Henry Brown
    Henry Brown
    • Walter Stone
    Rhonda Stubbins White
    • Annie Tyler
    Artel Great
    Artel Great
    • Motor Boat
    • (as Artel Kayaru)
    Taji Coleman
    Taji Coleman
    • Daisy Blunt
    Jensen Atwood
    Jensen Atwood
    • Johnny Taylor
    Wayne Duvall
    Wayne Duvall
    • Doctor Gordon
    • Director
      • Darnell Martin
    • Writers
      • Zora Neale Hurston
      • Suzan-Lori Parks
      • Misan Sagay
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews86

    6.43.1K
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    Featured reviews

    Storm23S

    Completely outrageous. What was Oprah thinking?

    This movie was terrible! I just finished reading the book and I was really looking forward to seeing the movie, needless to say I was very disappointed! So much of the book was left out. Excuse me, but where was Mrs. Turner?! In the book she is described as being extremely ignorant and I did find her annoying, but her character should have been included in the movie! 2nd of all, what happened to Janie's trial? did Oprah just happen to forget about that? Also, in the book Janie is married to Tea Cake for 20+ years, but the movie made it seem like she was married to him for 10 minutes! The movie was extremely boring and I kept saying to myself "maybe it will get better" but it never did. Halle Berry was the wrong person for the role, I know some people on this board think Lynn from "Girlfriends" would have been best and maybe she would have, but I think Jada Pinkett would have been the perfect choice. Jada is a very underrated, but excellent actress (much better than Halle in my opinion). Many times during the movie, I felt like I was watching soft porn. The part where Halle and Michael Ealy put their tongues together? ugh! was that necessary? I was so disgusted at that point, I turned the channel. I want to remake the movie!!!!!!!! If I remade it the actors/actresses I would cast would be as follows:

    Janie-Jada Pinkett Logan-same man who was in Oprah's version. Jody Starks-Danny Glover Tea Cake-The star of "Antwone Fisher" sorry, cant remember his name. Phoeby-Maybe Gabrielle Union, the woman in Oprah's version had no charisma.

    This is the worst adaptation of a book ever and I am so disgusted with this movie that I am going to try to remake it myself! If anyone does it before me, I will be just as happy, as long as its better than this junk. But this time Ithey should make it into a mini series and it should be on HBO!
    docral

    Awful Movie

    I've read the book and seen the movie; the book is better. To do justice to the book, the movie should have been in two parts, the first could have focused on Janie's childhood and youth and her life with Joe Starks and the second could have focused on her life with Tea Cake. I knew I'd have problems with the movie when Oprah introduced the movie by talking about Janie kissing Tea Cake. No movie could include everything in the book, but by leaving out Janie's family history, we don't get a clear idea why Nanny forces Janie to marry Logan Killicks. In the novel, the people in Eatonville are complex and interesting people. In the movie, they are reduced to clichés. Don't any of the work? Sorry, but race is an important part of the book and there should have been a way to include this in the movie. Mrs. Turner and the trial are important parts of the novel; the movie was a Lifetime feature. Halle Berry doesn't have the acting chops to play Janie. She looked the same from beginning to end. Put a little dirt on her and she still looks good. The scenes in the Glades were awful. Unlike, the novel, there was no sense of the people working. The movie gives the impression that these people spend most of their time singing and dancing in camp. Talk about a cliché. In the novel Janie makes a choice to go work with Tea Cake; in the movie it was Halle going slumming. The end of the novel is grabs you; the movie's end was laughable. By the way, I don't think the novel is anti-male or anti-white. Oprah said that Zora Neale Hurston was going to let out a shout. Yes and the shout would be "Orpah you ruined my novel!" Orpah made a movie called "Their Eyes Were Watching Halle." I hope someday, someone will make a real movie of "Their Eyes Were Watching God."
    7Foutainoflife

    Never Having Read The Book.....

    I didn't think this was that bad. It is a woman's story about going through a few relationships before finding love.

    The film is well made with acting, camera work and pace all being consistently good. I also thought the plot was well scripted. However, I never really felt as much passion I think one would want from this sort of film.
    bjorkpluto

    Halle and Michael Ealy were excellent!!!

    Well, I can admit when I am wrong and I was wrong about Halle Berry's performance. Halle was incredible as the head strong Janie Crawford and Michael Ealy added some sexy sizzle to the drifter Tea Cake. I really was impressed with the chemistry Berry and Ealy had it seemed so real. Also, I loved the production from the beautiful Florida Everglades, to the rural Eatonville town. The clothing was great as well. I also must thank. Ms. Oprah Winfery for once again bringing the rich African American literature to the masses in America. Zora Neale Hurston must also be thanked for discussing the sexism, and the patriarchy that affected black women in the early 20th century. Zora's novel is not just an American classic people from all over the African Diaspora and the world thank Ms. Hurston for her work. She will never be forgotten.
    geminicc76

    I liked the movie!!

    Before I start I have to say that I did not read the book. I am now on the prowl to purchase the book so all I can say in response to the movie is I liked it!!! I thought that Halle did a good job with the character as the character was described to me. I do know that it is quite difficult to ever create a movie that compares to a book anytime. Thousand of people have tried and nearly all of them have failed. Having read the book before the movie automatically set the movie up for failure. Having seen the movie and heard about the book it is now making me want to read the book. So you cannot say that the movie failed that bad if myself and other people I know who saw the movie all want the book. It is also kind of harsh to say that the movie was that awful, it was a love story and that was what was portrayed. When I was done watching that movie I was in love with the characters, I did not see Halle's character as a sleep around or whatever you called her. She was set up with an old man and she left, I would have done the same thing acres of land or not. She was with her 2nd husband until the end even though she was unhappy. And then my man Michael Ealy came and that was it. Dark or light who cares, I sure did not!!! It is a movie and if you are not familiar with Hollywood looks matter, if Halle's character was supposed to have been unattractive she still would have been beautiful for the movie it is just the way it is! Also both actors did a phenomenal job and I did not know that Michael Ealy was actually that good of an actor and I think this role will help him. Now who know I may change my mind after reading the book but I doubt it for the simple fact that if it was not for this movie I would have probably never bought the book!!! You go Oprah this movie was great!!! Two thumbs up!

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Zora Neale Hurston, author of the novel upon which this movie is based, grew up in Eatonville, Florida.
    • Goofs
      Eatonville is located in Central Florida, where the average elevation is close to sea level. The hills in the background in wide shots clearly betray the California shooting locations.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Janie Starks: There's two things everybody got to find out for theyselves: they got to find out about love, and they got to find out about living. Now, love is like the sea. It's a moving thing. And it's different on every shore. And living... well, I just come back from burying the dead.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Simply Beautiful
      Written by Al Green

      Performed by Al Green

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • March 6, 2005 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sueños de libertad
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
      • Do We Inc.
      • Harpo Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 53m(113 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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